


an anchor when in doubt

by SailorChibi



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Play, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst and Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Baby!Tony, Crying, Cuddling, Daddy!Steve, Diapers, Domestic Avengers, Fluff, Gen, Infantilism, Little!Bucky - Freeform, Little!Tony, Obadiah Stane is an Asshole, Oblivious Steve, Onesies, Pacifiers, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, University AU, University Student Steve, University student tony, alternate universe - littles are known, big brother Bucky, bottles, breakdowns, bucky is a big boy, daddy!Phil, like super oblivious, little!Clint, non sexual age play, non sexual infantilism, platonic sharing a bed, pull-ups, toddler!bucky, tony stark tries so hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-09-26 19:05:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9917156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: Steve's always had his suspicions about what kind of classification Tony Stark fell under, but he never had any proof - and besides, he already has Bucky as a Little and they're making it work. Until the day that Tony gets his official letter from the government. It all kind of falls apart from there.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I kid you not, this was meant to be _short_. And now it's over 12,000 words and I don't know what happened, except that it's been a traumatizing week (what possessed me to donate blood for the first and go to the dentist for the first time in like 15 years in the same week?!) and maybe I'm trying to cope, idek anymore.

Tony has one of the infamous white envelopes on his desk.

Steve can't help watching the poor kid out of the corner of his eye. Tony doesn't listen in class on a good day, but today it's obvious for anyone who looks at him that the professor's words are falling on deaf ears. He spends the whole hour and twenty minutes staring down at the envelope on his desk like it's going to jump up and bite him on the nose.

A part of Steve can relate, sort of. He remembers getting his own envelope at eighteen. Seeing the crisp, sealed envelope land on his desk had been enough to make his heart pound. His name had been written on the front in stark black ink, and when he flipped it over the back flap had been sealed with the crest of the New York Classification Office. His high school's name had been typed up in the corner.

Everyone in his class got one at the same time since they all turned eighteen that year; most people ignored the instructions to open their envelope after class was finished, but Steve hadn't. Even though it felt like torture, he waited until he was with his friends in a more private spot, and then one by one they'd opened their envelopes to learn about their futures.

They were lucky. No one had been overly upset, or even very surprised. Steve was classified as a caregiver, which anyone would've been able to see a mile away. Bucky was a Little. So were Loki and Clint (which suited Clint just fine, since Phil had found out that he was a caregiver two years before). Thor and Wade were caregivers (which also worked, because along came Peter a year later who was a Little). Natasha, Bruce and Sam were all baseline, though Sam had dom tendencies. Like breeds like, Thor had said with a smile, clapping Steve hard on the shoulder to make him stagger. Even without officially knowing your classification, you tend to gravitate towards those who are like you.

Now, comfortably settled in his own classification, Steve has to wonder if Tony has someone to open his envelope with. Probably not. Steve's not as close with Tony as he is with the rest of his friends, but Tony and Bruce are close so Tony hangs out with them a fair amount. And because of that, he knows that Tony's closest friend, James Rhodes, graduated last year into the military. Since then Rhodes hasn't been around much, if at all.

Class ends and Steve gathers his shit together. Thor is bringing Bucky by right after, so Steve grabs his backpack and heads out the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Tony heading into the bathroom like he always does immediately after class. It's not the only reason that Steve suspects he knows what Tony's envelope holds, but it is one of many.

He's going to be late to meet Thor and Bucky if he lingers. But - call him nosy if you want, but something's not right - Steve walks over to the door and stands there for a moment, just listening. He doesn't hear anything at all. Which isn't weird exactly, but he has the feeling that Tony needs a friend right now. Before he can second-guess himself too much, he pushes the door open and steps inside.

At the sound of the first muffled sob, Steve knows he was right to come in. He locks the door for extra privacy and sets his backpack down, eyeing the one cubicle in the room. Doesn't take a genius to figure out where Tony's hiding.

"Tony?" Steve calls out.

All sound stops immediately, like Tony thinks that if he holds his breath long enough, Steve will think he's not there. Steve can't help rolling his eyes and smiling a little, because Bucky does the exact same thing when he's been naughty and is trying to hide from his daddy.

"I know you're there. It's me, Steve. Are you okay?"

There's another few seconds of silence, and then Tony says, "I'm fine." Except his voice is nasally and another sob is tacked onto the end of that sentence, so basically he's the opposite and Steve can't help the immediate rush of worry. His voice gentles.

"You're not fine. Can you come out here, please?"

"No."

Steve sighs to himself and takes a couple steps closer to the cubicle. "I take it you got some news you weren't happy with."

"No, I'm in here because I'm over the moon happy," Tony snarks, but there's no real animosity in his voice. Just general exhaustion and a deep-seated fear that makes Steve's heart clench.

"Are you a Little?" he asks flat-out, figuring there's no easy way to ask.

The cubicle door slams open. Tony stares at him. "How the hell did you know that?" he demands, tear-streaked face twisted in anger.

"It's obvious."

"No, it's not!"

"To me it is," Steve says. To anyone who actually pays attention, but he's been getting the feeling for a while now that there's not many people who pay attention to Tony.

"What do you mean?" Tony says, still glaring.

"You go to the bathroom all the time," Steve says. It sounds dumb even to his ears.

Tony raises an eyebrow. "Maybe I have a medical condition."

"Maybe. Or maybe you're a Little and biologically, you can't control your bodily functions," Steve says patiently. He's familiar with this to some extent. Bucky tips the scales at about three years old. Sometimes he ages up to four and sometimes he ages down to two, but most times he's pretty consistent. And he can control his bowel movements reliably, but his bladder is a different story. There's a reason he wears pull-ups.

But Steve has heard about younger Littles who struggle to control both - it's one of the reasons that the youngest Littles usually get identified much earlier than the mandatory testing age of eighteen - and his heart goes out to Tony when an embarrassed blush spreads across Tony's cheeks. He knows he's guessed right, and he can't even begin to imagine how much damage control Tony's been doing for the past eighteen years to keep anyone else from figuring it out.

"You think you're so smart," Tony says shakily, lifting his chin. 

"I'm probably about average," Steve tells him honestly. "I just have a Little already, so I'm used to this sorta stuff. I notice things. Like the way you always sleep through our 10am class. Or how whenever I see you with Bruce in the afternoon, you're trying not to fall asleep. 10am and 3pm are pretty normal nap times. Or the way you're always sucking on pens. Oral fixation. Or -"

"Enough!" 

Steve goes quiet, eyeing him. Tony's trembling, breath coming in little gasps.

"I don't want to hear another word. Just leave me alone." Tony's voice is quiet and ragged.

"I can't do that. You shouldn't be left alone."

Tony actually laughs at that. "I'm always alone, Steve. This" he holds up his hand, shaking the letter weakly "doesn't change a fucking thing."

"I know your parents died," Steve says as tactfully as possible, "but surely there's someone else who can help you."

"Yeah," Tony mutters, soft and bitter. "Sure. Someone else. Who? There aren't many caregivers amongst businessmen. My P.A. is a domme, but she's already made it clear that she's not interested in taking care of me. There is no one else." He draws himself up. "The last person who pretended that they cared about me is now in jail."

Oh shit. Steve tries not to wince. He remembers the headlines, the talk shows, the buzz of gossip on campus. The day Obadiah Stane was arrested was the day Tony stopped coming to classes. He'd been out of school for nearly six months while the trial raged on. Only after Stane was sentenced did Tony return, stealing into Steve's third-year English class one Friday morning like he'd always been there.

"Not everyone is like that," he tries.

"Sure, maybe in your world. In my world, people only care about what they can get from me. And when this classification hits the news, it's going to be a fight to see who gets named as my caregiver." Tony's face pinches, like he's trying not to cry. "Because that person will get a say in Stark Industries, because they get a say in me, and I can't do anything about it."

"I'll do it," Steve hears himself say.

Tony stares at him. "Excuse me?"

"I'll be your caregiver."

Tony opens his mouth and then closes it without any words coming out.

"You deserve someone who cares about you," Steve goes on. There's a small, distant part of him that's screaming 'what are you doing?!' in a very loud voice, but he ignores it. He can't stand to see the loneliness on Tony's face for another minute.

"You don't even know me that well," Tony says faintly, still staring.

"I know you're kind to Bruce. I know you love science. I know that you like animals. I know that you hate chocolate milk. You always get white. I know that you also hate bees," Steve adds, smiling fondly as the memory of the day that a bee got too close to Tony and Clint flashes through his head. One bee had sent both of them into screaming attacks until Phil took control and shooed the bee away.

"Clint screamed first," Tony says, obviously knowing what he's thinking about. He shakes his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm no one's charity case."

"It's not charity. Believe me, I know exactly what that feels like."

"Then what is it? Because Littles are work, Steve. No one offers to do that kind of work out of the goodness of their heart. Especially not for me."

Steve doesn't have an answer for that. After a pause, Tony nods.

"That's what I thought. Thanks for this enlightening conversation, but I have a board meeting to get to." Tony grabs his own backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. He unlocks the bathroom door and heads out, swiping at his face to erase the tears as he goes. The door swings shut behind him and Steve sighs.

"Well, you fucked that one up, Rogers," he says out loud, just in time for another university student to walk in and give him a weird look. Steve waves him aside and heads out, automatically looking for Tony. But there's no sign of him, unsurprisingly. 

Tony's probably going to bury this as deep as he can until it comes spilling out in a maelstrom of pain and grief. It's the worst way to handle anything, though Steve can't blame him. It doesn't sound like Tony has anyone to fall back on. Steve tries to picture Bucky being in that situation and feels his stomach flip. Of course, if something were to happen to Steve now, one of their friends would take Bucky in. Tony doesn't have that luxury. 

It's not a position that Steve envies, and as he heads outside he finds himself wishing that there was something he could do. Tony's not a bad person for all that the media loves to paint him that way. He's actually very sweet once you get to know him a little bit, and Steve hopes that whatever caregiver Tony ends up with appreciates the loving baby that's no doubt hiding behind those walls.

He spares a moment to think, somewhat enviously, that he'll never know that baby. 

But then he hears an excited yell of "Daddy!" and he looks up, grinning, just in time to see Bucky sprinting across the grass full-tilt towards him. Thor is standing just behind Bucky, holding Loki on one hip and laughing. Steve opens his arms and catches Bucky up in a big hug, forgetting all about Tony Stark.


	2. Chapter 2

The resolve to forget about Tony lasts for all of six days, until Steve is awakened in the middle of the night by his phone. He jolts upright, confused, and fumbles around to silence the stupid thing before it wakes everyone up. Steve and Bucky, Phil and Clint, and Natasha and Sam all share the same extremely small, two-bedroom apartment. It's very cramped, but it's basically the only way they can all afford to live in downtown New York.

He squints at the screen and doesn't recognize the number. He's ready to chalk it up to a wrong number when it rings again. Annoyed now, Steve hits the button to answer and brings the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"St-Steve?"

All thoughts that it might be Loki or Peter - because the two of them, Peter in particular, are famous for squirming out of their cribs while Wade and Thor are asleep and getting into mischief - go flying out the window. Even though the voice is hoarse and breathy, he recognizes it.

"Tony?"

"St-Steve," Tony says again, and then he's crying so hard he can barely talk.

Steve scrambles out of bed, doing his best not to wake Bucky. "Tony, sweetheart, where are you?" he asks as gently as possible, stepping into some jeans. He drags them up around his waist and zips them up, then shrugs on a shirt.

The only answer he gets is a flurry of sobs. Worried now, Steve slips out the door. Phil is sitting at the table, doing some paperwork. Steve makes a motion back towards the bedroom, waits for Phil to nod, and then grabs a jacket on his way out the door. Shoving his feet into sneakers, he hit the stairs.

"Tony, I need you to tell me where you are. Can you do that for me?"

In between gasps for breath, Tony chokes out an address that's about twenty blocks east. Even though Steve can't afford it, he pays for a cab to take him there (Tony cries into the phone during the whole ride, like he can't even hear Steve's reassurances) and stumbles out of the car in front of an office building. At first he just stands there wonders how on earth he's going to make it into the building, but then a young woman marches up to him.

"Are you Steve Rogers?" she demands.

"Uh, yes?"

Her eyes flick to the phone, through which Tony's crying is audible. "I'm Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's P.A. Follow me."

"Is Tony okay?" Steve asks.

"I'm afraid not. He barricaded himself in his office three hours ago and refuses to let me or anyone else in." Pepper's mouth is a thin, flat line. "We seriously considered breaking down the door, but I didn't want to scare him even more. I'm hoping that you will be able to coax him out."

They get to the elevator. Steve steps in first. He's unprepared for Pepper to walk in behind him and hit the emergency stop.

"What the hell are you -"

"Shut up," Pepper says, low and steely. "Tony Stark is a good man. He deserves to have good things in his life, not that he believes it. If you have any intention of using or hurting him, I will tear you apart."

Steve stiffens his back and lowers the phone a little, hoping that Tony can't hear this. "I can appreciate that you're trying to protect him, but Tony's a friend of mine. I didn't come here to use him or hurt him."

Pepper studies him for a moment, her eyes hard. "Just make sure you don't get any ideas," she says. "Any caregiver of Tony's will be thoroughly vetted before they're permitted to register. Tony has worked long and hard to turn this company's reputation around and invest in new initiatives. I won't permit anyone to ruin that."

"With all due respect, ma'am, I don't care about the company. I'm here for Tony."

She doesn't look entirely convinced, but she unwinds enough to say, "Tony's been in a tailspin ever since he got his classification letter. Things came to a head tonight when he received another letter advising him that he had to register a caregiver by the end of the month, or his name would be put up for adoption."

Steve grimaces. That would be mortifying enough without the added complication of a company and a fortune. Little Adoption carries a certain stigma attached to it. Those Littles are largely considered to be the unwanted or the troubled, the ones who aren't loved enough to have caregivers. It's all bullshit, of course, but it's not something Steve would want any Little to go through, much less Tony.

"Can I see him? Please."

"Fine," Pepper says, hitting the button for the fiftieth floor and swiping her key card. "But remember my warning."

The best Steve can do is give her a strained smile. He can still hear the sound of Tony's sobs and it's keying up every nerve in his body; he wants nothing more than to find Tony and soothe him. He practically explodes out of the elevator, not needing Pepper's instructions to know which office is Tony's. It's the only one on the floor with the door firmly shut.

"Can give us some space?" he says to Pepper and then hurries over to the door, not waiting to see if she sticks around or not.

As he gets closer, he can hear Tony crying through the wood and not just over the phone. Steve brings the phone back to his ear, heart twisting as he sets a palm over the door.

"I'm here," he says into the phone. "You just need to open the door for me."

"Can't," Tony sobs.

"Yes you can. Just unlock it. You can be a brave boy and do that," he coaxes. "I know you can."

It takes far too long for the lock to disengage and the door to open a crack. As soon as Tony sees Steve, his face crumbles and he starts crying all over again. Steve doesn't hesitate to scoop him up, and Tony throws his arms and legs around Steve's neck and waist with a desperation that's painful to observe. 

"Shh, shh, baby boy," Steve murmurs, edging into the office and kicking the door shut. The first thing he does is draw the blinds for privacy. Then he takes a seat in one of the visitor's chairs, holding Tony in his lap.

"It's okay," he soothes, rubbing Tony's back. He's wet, Steve realizes: the crotch and inside of Tony's pants are soaked with urine that's now soaking into Steve's jeans. Well, it's hardly the first time he'd been peed on. Loki went through a stage where he shucked his diaper every chance he got, and every one of Steve's friends got peed on at one point or another.

Tony just shakes his head and cries, face flushed, so wound up he's gagging around the thumb in his mouth. Steve does his best to calm him down, speaking to him softly. It would be easier if he could give Tony a stuffed animal or something else to distract him, but he has the feeling Tony doesn't have anything like that. And on the off chance he does, it would not be found anywhere in an office like this.

"Steve?"

The voice jolts Steve. He looks at the door, but it's still shut.

"Steve, is everything going okay?"

It's Pepper, speaking through the comm system, and she sounds even more worried now than she did before. Steve gets up - shushing Tony, who practically goes into a panic when he thinks Steve might be leaving - and walks over to the desk. There's a square piece of glass set into the desk. He taps the green button and clears his throat.

"Pepper?"

"Yes?"

"Could you get me, um, a couple of adult-sized diapers, some diaper cream and baby powder, and a onesie? And a stuffed animal of some kind, if the store has them," Steve says, rattling the list off from memory. He pauses, then adds, "Also a bottle. White milk, please."

To her credit, Pepper doesn't hesitate. "Of course."

"Hang on, baby boy," Steve says, patting Tony's bottom. He bounces the baby a couple of times, hoping that the movement might help to settle Tony down. He's never been so grateful for the fact that caretakers are naturally gifted with strength that's far greater than the average person, giving him the ability to lift and carry Tony with ease. 

It seems to take forever before there's a quiet knock at the door. Steve opens it to find a diaper bag waiting for him, but no one else is visible. He snags the bag and pulls it into the room, kneeling down to unzip it. Inside he finds everything he'd asked for and some things he didn't, including baby wipes, a soft red blanket, a couple of pacifiers, and a plastic changing matt.

Bless Pepper Potts and her ability to think of everything. Steve grabs a pacifier and pulls Tony's thumb out of his mouth. Tony opens his mouth, ready to squall in protest, but Steve's ready with the pacifier, pushing it in. He watches Tony for a moment, wondering if Tony will spit it out, but after a couple of hesitant sucks Tony just looks up at him. His face is red and streaked with tears, which only draws attention to the bags under his puffy eyes. Which probably means that Steve is dealing with an overtired baby on top of it all.

"New plan. I'm going to get you all cleaned up and then you can have a bottle and a nap, okay?" he says, because Tony seems to like hearing the sound of his voice. He spreads the changing mat out on the floor and sets Tony down. Tony tries to cling to him, sobbing so pitifully that it's truly heart wrenching. 

"Here, baby. Hold this instead for just a minute, okay?" He shows Tony the teddy bear that was also in the bag. It's pure white and the softest thing Steve's ever felt, with black eyes and a white-and-black plaid bow around its neck. When Tony stares at it, Steve sets the bear atop his chest. He's not surprised when Tony immediately grabs onto it, burying his face in the bear's belly while he cries. 

With Tony suitably distracted, Steve strips off his shoes, shoes, and the ruined dress pants. The sodden boxers are the next to follow; he balls them all up and crams them into a disposable bag, figuring that Tony can always buy another set. Tony lets out a renewed wail and flinches when the cold baby wipes touch his skin. Steve murmurs an apology, parting Tony's thighs and trying to move as quickly as possible to make the clean-up less unpleasant. He would've preferred to give Tony a warm bath, but that's not gonna happen in an office like this one.

He sets aside the used wipes and picks up the diaper cream. Already he can see the skin around Tony's penis and starting to go pink with an oncoming rash. Bucky's never had one, thank god, but Peter had a particularly bad one once and Steve never wants to be around another baby who's suffering a diaper rash if he can avoid it. He puts his right hand on Tony's belly to keep him still and applies a liberal coating of cream to the squirmy baby. Then, after a light dusting of baby powder, he lifts Tony's thighs, slips a diaper under him, and pulls the front up between Tony's thighs to seal it into place.

"There, that's better," he says, wiping his hands on another baby wipe. Tony just sniffs, letting out another quiet sob. Steve rubs his belly while he rummages through the bag to find the onesie. It's pretty plain - dark blue with only the silver snaps at the crotch for decoration - but it'll do. He pulls Tony into a seated position and carefully pulls the onesie over his head, then guides the baby's hands through the arms. He snaps the onesie shut between Tony's thighs and sits back on his heels, smiling down at the baby. Step one done.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony looks up at him, eyes still bright with tears. But he's kept the pacifier in his mouth and he's holding the teddy bear and now he's diapered, so Steve considers himself ahead of the game. He dumps everything he used to change Tony into the garbage and then slides his hand under Tony's arms, lifting him easily. Tony's shivering a little and the office temperature is cool, so Steve wraps the red blanket around him and the bear as he sits back down in the office chair. The next step, and hopefully the step that will calm Tony down, is a bottle.

It's immediately obvious that Tony isn't used to drinking from a bottle. His expression is adorably confused when Steve swaps the pacifier out for the nipple, and it seems to take his brain a few seconds to realize that he's supposed to suck. When he does, he's clearly not expecting the milk because he starts to cough, one hand flailing in surprise. Steve swallows a laugh and pats his back until the coughs stop, then offers him the nipple of the bottle again. This time Tony sucks right away, a thin trickle of milk spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Should've asked for a burping cloth, Steve realizes. Oh well. He wipes up the mess with a corner of his own t-shirt; his jeans are already wet from pee, so he already needs a shower. "This baby thing is gonna be a learning curve for both of us," he says out loud, and Tony's eyes flick towards him at the sound of his voice. Steve smiles down at him.

Babies are work, there's no question about it. There have been times when Steve's been very glad that Bucky didn't register as a baby. Yet as he sits there, rocking Tony from side to side as best he can, he realizes that he would take Tony as his Little in a heartbeat. There's just something about the boy in his arms. Steve wants to protect him from the world as much as he wants to protect Bucky, and that's saying something. The only question is whether Tony will want him and whether Bucky will be okay with it.

But those aren't questions for tonight. Not when Tony's eyes are slipping shut. Steve slides the bottle out of his mouth and lifts Tony up to his shoulder, patting his back until the baby burps. Tony's eyes are fully closed by that point, but Steve keeps rocking until he's convinced that Tony is truly asleep. The last thing he wants is to jostle Tony and start this whole miserable night all over again.

"You're alright, baby boy," he murmurs, slowing getting to his feet. Step three is to get Tony to bed. He takes a moment to adjust Tony to a more comfortable position, then walks over to the door. He's not surprised in the least to find Pepper standing there when he opens the door.

"How is he?" she asks immediately, face drawn in worry.

Steve considers the question. "Okay for now," he says finally. "But Pepper, he really needs a caregiver."

"It's not that easy," Pepper says, her attention transfixed by Tony's sleeping face.

"I know that the company -"

Pepper shakes her head. "It's not just the company, Steve. Tony won't be little all the time. He's spent the past ten plus years forcing himself to be big all the time and developing coping methods to deal with that. It's only now that he's officially been classified as a Little that it pushed him over the edge. He's not just going to suddenly be okay with being little all the time. I _know_ Tony. Besides, the company still needs him. I still need him. And he knows that. He's not stupid. He'll turn himself inside out before he does anything to hurt Stark Industries."

Steve puts a hand to Tony's bottom, patting it gently. "Surely there must be someone."

"No one that I can think of. Not long term, anyway. And I'm very concerned that if this goes to adoption, Tony will either end up with someone who's going to abuse their position of power or someone who will get angry that he's not a traditional Little. He needs someone who will understand and be okay with the occasional cranky temper tantrum because he doesn't want to be little that day."

"My offer is still open," Steve says. He keeps talking to forestall any objections. "Look, I know I'm just a nobody who grew up in Brooklyn. But maybe that's a good thing. I have no interest in Stark Industries. I already have a Little of my own. I'd have to talk to him first, of course, but I think he would be okay with it." Bucky certainly doted over Loki and Peter enough. "So I know how to handle Littles. You saw," he adds, knowing that his actions in the office were being watched. There's no way Pepper wouldn't have been monitoring them to make sure he was treating Tony well. "And Tony and I are friends. Not great friends, but still. I already know him and he's comfortable with me."

Pepper gives him a hard look. Steve meets her gaze evenly, not backing down, because not even she can deny the evidence: Tony's clutching his teddy bear with one hand but the other is fisted into Steve's shirt. His whole body is leaning into Steve. 

"You would have to pass some extensive background tchecks," Pepper says finally. "And we would need to write up a pre-register agreement."

"Fair enough," Steve says, pleased she's not shooting him down. He shifts Tony's weight. "Look, I don't know where Tony lives, but I'd really like to put him to bed for the night. Is his apartment nearby?" Because he doesn't relish the thought of taking Tony home with him. He will if he has to, but it would be better if Tony could wake up somewhere he's comfortable.

For the first time tonight, Pepper smiles. "Closer than you think," she says. "This is Stark Tower, Steve. Tony owns all of it. Stark Industries occupies the lower fifty levels; everything from level fifty-one and up is for Tony's private use."

Stark Tower. Steve feels like an idiot. He was in such a rush to get to Tony that he didn't even put two and two together, but of course that's why the building looked a little familiar. He glances at the elevator. "Can we go up to where Tony sleeps, then?"

"I can take you up. Are you planning to stay the night?"

"I guess so. Yes," Steve says. He hasn't thought about it, but he has no idea whether Tony will be little or not when he wakes up. The image of baby Tony waking up alone slides through his head and he winces, holding Tony closer. That's probably happened more times than Steve can count, but at least he can be reassured that it won't happen tomorrow morning. 

Pepper just nods. "I think that would be best," is all she says. She leads him over to the elevator, which opens automatically at their approach. Buttons for the floors fifty-one and up are pale gold instead of slate grey, and when Pepper presses number ninety-one, a panel slides out of the wall for her to input a code. She taps a password in, swipes the card clipped to her blouse, and the elevator starts to move smoothly.

"Security issue," she explains, even though Steve didn't ask. "Tony's security is the best. It doesn't derail everyone, but it takes care of all but the most determined. Employee keycards are specifically programmed to insure no one can get to a floor higher than necessary, and Tony and I are the only ones with clearance for the upper levels of the tower."

"Sounds smart," Steve says politely. Inwardly, he's reeling. He can't imagine having forty-nine floors all to yourself. What the hell does Tony do with all of them?

When the elevator stops, he's almost afraid to step out. Afraid he'll find something disgustingly rich, like solid gold furniture. Instead, the doors open to a tastefully decorated living room with hardwood floors, black furniture, and a huge television that Clint would fall in love with. The coffee table is covered with the remains of a half-eaten pepperoni pizza and several empty coffee mugs. Pepper sighs at the mess.

"Just through there," she says, gesturing. "You'll find Tony's bedroom on the left and a guest room right next door. Can I get anything for you?"

"I'll probably need supplies for Tony."

"Right. I'll have the diaper bag brought up for you. I did order extra of everything; it should be here within a couple of hours. I had someone go out to buy the stuff in the bag because it was an emergency," says Pepper, checking her phone. Steve's not quite sure where the phone appeared from, but knows better than to ask.

"Thanks," he says instead. "Also, if I could get a new pair of sweats? And a t-shirt?" He hates to ask. It feels like mooching. But he doesn't want to spend the rest of the night in what he's wearing, either. And Tony is so small, maybe 5'7 on a good day to Steve's 6'3. There's no way any of his clothing will fit.

Fortunately, Pepper seems to take the request in stride. "Of course. There should be a toothbrush in the bathroom already. If you need anything, just give me a call."

She's gone before Steve can point out he doesn't have her number. Left alone except for Tony, he sighs and looks at the baby. "How do you live here in this place all by yourself?" he asks, brushing a curl out of Tony's face. "You must be so lonely, sweetheart."

And it's frustrating too, because he and his friends are all crammed in like sardines. Loki and Thor share the smallest bachelor apartment Steve's ever seen. Bruce lives in equally tiny accommodations on campus. Wade and Peter are slightly better off because Wade has some money stashed away, but they also live all the way out in Brooklyn. What Steve wouldn't give for even a tenth of the space that Tony has all to himself.

He knows, though, that there's really no use dwelling on it. He puts his free hand on the back of Tony's head and walks down the hall, looking to the left. Tony's bedroom is pretty easily identifiable. The bed isn't made and there's clothing on the floor, but other than that the room looks barely lived in. There are no pictures, no stuffed animals, no signs that is someone's home. 

Worse yet, there's no crib. Steve sucks his teeth, trying to make a decision. He's not crazy about leaving a baby alone in a bed, even a king-sized bed. He'd feel more comfortable putting Tony down in a crib, but that's not an option. Pepper pointedly mentioned the guest room, but Steve's just going to have to hope that she doesn't creep in and shoot him in the middle of the night for taking liberties.

Carefully, he sets Tony down on the bed on his belly. Tony mumbles something, sliding his thumb in his mouth, and presses his face into his teddy bear. Steve smiles down at him, tugs the blankets up around Tony's waist, and heads into the bathroom. He leaves the door open while he takes a quick shower, borrowing Tony's body wash. The shower is bigger than the room he shares with Bucky, and while he wants nothing more than to take his time, he's in and out within ten minutes.

He wraps a towel around his waist and pokes his head out the bathroom door to check on the baby. Tony's still sound asleep, though he's kicked the blankets off. Steve shakes his head and pads quietly through the bedroom, realizing he has no new clothes to wear. He checks the living room on a whim and finds, much to his surprise, that the diaper bag, a new pair of sweats, a t-shirt, and even a pair of boxers are waiting for him. And everything fits perfectly.

Pepper is scary. That is the only conclusion he can draw.

There is lots of food in the kitchen, but Steve doesn't feel right about taking anything. This isn’t his place, and technically Tony hasn't given him permission to be here. So he quiets his grumbling stomach with a couple glasses of water and returns to Tony. He lays down on the bed, making sure that he remains on top of the covers while Tony is under them, and watches Tony’s sleeping face until he finally falls asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time the first rays of sun are creeping across the floor, Steve's awake. He opens his eyes and finds that Tony is watching him this time. Steve blinks back at him, realizing that Tony's no longer wearing the onesie or a diaper. Instead, he's wearing plain black pajamas. That's either a good sign or a bad sign, and Steve isn't really sure which one it is yet.

“Morning,” he says, figuring he’d better break the silence before it becomes too heavy.

“Why are you here?” Tony asks bluntly. He's sitting on the side of the bed, holding a cup of coffee, and Steve dearly wishes that he could steal the coffee.

“And apparently we’re jumping right into the heavy questions,” Steve mutters. “You called me.”

Tony flushes. “I was… confused.”

“You were dropping,” Steve corrects. “Hard. You can’t keep going like this.”

In a flash, Tony’s face switches to furious. “You’re just like all the others. Thinking that I should just calm down and let someone take care of me, that I should let biology run its course and be a _fucking baby_ all the time –”

“Hey, whoa!” Steve sits up and holds his hands out. “That’s not what I meant, okay? I have a Little already. You know him. Bucky isn’t little all the time. He has a job, for one thing. And sure most nights he’s my little boy, but every so often he wants to just hang out with me, Natasha, Sam and Phil and that’s okay too. I never meant that you have to be little all the time if that’s not what you need.”

Tony eyes him warily. “Then what did you mean?” he says, still hostile, like – and Steve knows he shouldn’t make the comparison, but he can’t help it – like a skittish animal that has been hurt one too many times, but desperately wants to trust regardless.

“It’s not good for you to _never_ be little. I’ve seen what happens. It doesn’t work. Sooner or later, you’ll crash. And that can take years to come back from. You can fight biology to a certain extent. You’re stubborn enough for that and you’ve had more than enough practice.” Steve smiles a little sadly. “But you can’t ignore it forever. You’re a smart guy. You know that’s not how this works.”

“I don’t want to be a Little,” Tony says, and Steve’s heart breaks for him. He looks so scared and vulnerable at that moment.

“I know you don’t,” Steve says, wishing he could hug Tony, but he doesn't think Tony would be okay with that. “I mean, I have to talk to Bucky first, but my offer still stands, Tony. Even if you just want to see how it goes for a while.”

Something shutters in Tony's face, but all he says is, “But why? I still don’t get why you’d be willing to put all that work in. It doesn’t make sense.”

“I’m a caregiver. Biologically, it’s what I need,” Steve points out. “And I’ve always suspected I was more compatible with a younger little. Even Bucky complains that I baby him too much sometimes, and he’s only about three. I enjoyed taking care of you last night.” Once he got past the initial scare, anyway.

“And you have no interest in my company,” Tony says.

Steve snorts. “I’m majoring in Arts. I work four nights a week as a bartender. I have a Little at home, with the potential of a second. I have no time for your company. Besides, I’m pretty sure Pepper would literally castrate me.”

A ghost of a smile flickers across Tony’s face. “Yeah, she would.”

The smile is promising. Steve smiles back. “How are you feeling this morning? Honestly.”

“Honestly? A little fuzzy.” Tony shakes his head, as though to clear it. “It was hard to wake up.”

“You weren’t in your headspace for long enough,” Steve guesses. “I’ll stay a while if you want me to.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m okay.”

Steve isn’t convinced, but Tony remains firm and it isn’t like Steve has the right to argue with him. In less than fifteen minutes, he finds himself in the elevator on the way down to the first floor. Tony completely ignored the baby paraphernalia stacked in the living room, acting like it wasn’t even there. Steve might've believed the ruse had it not been for the blush on Tony’s face the whole time. That, more than anything, makes Steve determined to come back.

Because if Bucky isn’t okay with Steve taking another Little, then the least Steve can do is find another caregiver for Tony. Someone trustworthy who will actually take care of Tony, who'll be willing to learn when Tony needs space and when he needs someone to push, and who Tony can lean on. That's a pretty tough list to fill, though. He ponders the matter as he walks home, trying to come up with someone who fits that criteria.

Part of the problem, of course, is that Steve is already attached to Tony. But he knows that Bucky comes first. Frankly, he probably shouldn’t have left last night without talking to Bucky beforehand. Caring for another Little is a big responsibility, and Bucky deserves to have a say in it. Steve is his caregiver first and foremost, and he would never put someone else ahead of his little boy.

So when Steve walks in the door and sees Bucky sitting on the couch – alone and dressed in his ‘big’ clothes – he blurts out, “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been jonsing after Stark since the day he fell asleep with his head in your lap. I can’t believe you didn’t see this coming. Natasha owes me twenty bucks,” Bucky says. He cackles at the look on Steve’s face.

“Twenty bucks?” Steve says, bewildered.

“Natasha bet that Stark wouldn’t break down and admit he needed help for at least a month after he got his letter,” Bucky says. “But I knew it would be way sooner than that. Poor baby’s been on the brink for a long time.” He sounds, surprisingly enough, sympathetic.

“So… you’re not mad?”

“A little. You should’ve talked to me first.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Bucky just nods. “But I can’t fault you for being drawn to a suffering Little, either. Especially a baby. That’s you in a nutshell, you overprotective mama bear.”

Steve throws a pillow at him and sinks down into a chair. “He’s just so _little_ and he’s trying so hard, Buck. It kills me. He’s so scared that someone’s going to take advantage of him.”

“Well, given his track record, you can’t blame him.”

Steve nods, conceding the point. “I want to help. But not if you don’t want me to.”

“You realize I can’t really say no without sounding like a dick,” Bucky says, amused.

“Yes you can. You totally can. This is a big thing. It’ll mean a lot of change. I understand if you’d prefer that it was just you and me. I won’t be angry or disappointed if you would rather I didn’t. I’ll just help Tony find a different caregiver who's not a complete asshole like Stane was.”

Bucky watches him for a few seconds, eyes narrowed, before he sighs. “I always wondered why Stark didn’t want to see the truth,” he says finally. “He always gravitated towards you when we were hanging out and he was feeling little, but he would never admit it. And you were so thick-headed that you never saw it, either. You were helping him out and you didn’t even know it. It was so natural for you. So yeah, I used to get jealous.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Steve asks. He can’t believe he never noticed. Though in retrospect, he can see a correlation between Tony hanging out with them and Bucky being more needy afterwards. He’s just never put two and two together before.

“Because you would’ve stopped, and Stark needed that. Needed you. Any idiot could see that. And now…”

“And now…?” Steve prompts when Bucky didn’t finish.

Bucky sighs. “And now I want to play with my little brother,” he grumbles. “Damn Stark for being so fucking cute.”

That's the last thing Steve is expecting to hear. He sits up straight. “Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for you to bring him home, Stevie.”

Steve just stares at him. “So you don’t want me to find him a new caregiver?”

“That’s _my_ little brother,” Bucky says, and yup: that is the exact same possessive look Bucky gets when he's squabbling with Clint over a toy they both think belongs to them. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Steve admits. The whole way home he was thinking about how best to explain to Bucky this situation he’d gotten himself into – while trying _not_ to think about how hard it would be if Bucky wasn’t comfortable with the idea. The important thing is to do what is best for Bucky and Tony, after all. That's Steve’s role as caregiver. It hadn’t once occurred to him that Bucky might have seen this coming.

“Say yes?” Bucky suggests.

“It’s not that easy. I mean, are you sure? Really sure? Tony’s a baby. He needs a lot of care. I would never stop paying attention to you, but your track record with sharing isn’t great.” 

Bucky gives him the consideration of thinking about it before he answers. “I’d be open to a trial run. I don’t like the thought of sharing you, but I hate the thought of Tony being with someone else even more. He belongs to you.”

“Not yet, he doesn’t,” Steve says, but gently. “And what about money? Space?”

“Stark has plenty of money.”

“I’m not taking him in for his money. I don’t want him to feel like we’re trying to take advantage of him.”

“We all pay our own way,” Bucky pointes out. “Even me and Clint. There’s no reason why Stark can’t do the same thing. We’re not asking for an easy ride here. Maybe with him chipping in, we could afford a bigger apartment.”

“Not likely,” Steve mutters. But a bigger bed, maybe. He’s long harbored a dream about having a place big enough to give Bucky a bedroom of his own, fully outfitted with all the toys and cool decorations Bucky’s heart desires. And if Tony joins them, Steve wants him to have a nursery. Tony deserves that. He hates the fact that he doesn’t make enough money to provide that, but rent in New York is so ridiculous.

“Talk to him. Suggest a trial run if that makes you feel more comfortable,” Bucky says. “I bet once he gets over the shock that you actually want him, he’ll jump all over it.” And curiously, there is no jealousy in his voice at all. He had, Steve realizes, come to terms with this happening long before Steve even consciously realized it was an option.

“I need a little more time to think,” Steve says. Time to fully get used to the idea, and to realize what he was undertaking.

“But what if he finds another caregiver?” Bucky asks, sounding a little whiny.

There is his little boy. Steve grins and stands up, moving over to the couch. He sits down and wraps an arm around Bucky’s shoulders. “I don’t think we need to worry about that. He called me last night, you know. And he told me that he’s concerned about a caregiver taking advantage of him and trying to get their claws into the company.”

Bucky sniffs. “We would never do that.”

“No, we wouldn’t.” Steve trails his fingers up and down Bucky’s arm, thinking. “You’re still my best guy, you know,” he says after a minute. “I want you to know that you make me happy. I never felt unfulfilled with you around.”

"I understand that now," Bucky says, leaning into him and pulling his knees up, tucking his toes under Steve's thigh. 

"But I didn't know to tell you. How did you -"

"You treated me the same even after Stark was around," says Bucky. "You didn't even think about 'dopting him until right now, even though sometimes he acted like he wanted you for a daddy. And I figure I can't blame him, 'cause you're the bestest daddy." He cuddles closer. "I love you, Daddy."

For a split second Steve can barely speak; he has no idea how he got so lucky. His voice is raspy when he says, "I love you, sweetheart.”

"I know," Bucky says, thumb running over his bottom lip. It's a sure sign that not only is he slipping, he's aging down to the lower end of his range. Steve hugs him a little tighter, so proud of his little boy that he could burst. 

He meant what he said: he's always been happy with Bucky. He's never felt like there's something lacking. The thought of another Little never crossed his mind until now. It's only because it's Tony and he so blatantly needs someone that Steve's even considering it. And the fact that Bucky is willing to let Steve be that someone is, frankly, amazing in Steve's eyes, because Bucky could've just as easily said no and not a soul would have blamed him for that.

"I love you," he whispers again, pressing a kiss to the top of Bucky's head. Bucky wrinkles his nose at the kiss but doesn't pull away.

"When're you gonna bring the baby home?" he asks.

"Soon. I'll talk to him soon, okay?"


	5. Chapter 5

Bucky doesn't like the idea of waiting for Tony and he makes that very clear, but it's the best answer Steve's got. He can't rush this. He doesn't even know if Tony is really interested, considering how skillfully Tony had avoided answering that question when Steve posed it. He figures that getting through the background and clearance checks will probably be easier than getting a straight answer from Tony.

He's not wrong, either. He receives a text on his phone the very next morning indicating that Pepper is moving ahead with the checks. Apparently, she's decided that Steve is interested and wants to get the ball rolling. Steve doesn't bother to respond. He already knows that the worst thing she'll find is a handful of ticks against his record for getting into fights when he was a kid. He's damn proud of those fights, even if most of them ended with his mom fussing over him because he got beat up.

Tony, on the other hand, absolutely refuses to answer phone calls or texts. It doesn't take much effort to figure out that Tony is probably embarrassed. Even Bucky was a little embarrassed when he officially became Steve's Little, and he and Steve had been dancing around it for years before anything actually happened. Steve vividly remembers coaxing a wailing Bucky out from underneath the bed because Bucky was embarrassed about being given a bath.

Granted, most of the time Bucky still doesn't want to take baths, but now it's for reasons that have nothing to do with embarrassment and more to do with an enjoyment of being dirty.

Finally, out of desperation, Steve calls Bruce and flat-out begs him to help: "Short of showing up on his doorsteps, I don't know what to do. He hasn't shown up at school for like two weeks and he won't answer me and I'm getting worried."

Bruce sighs. "I haven't seen him for a while either," he says. "But I could probably get him to meet me somewhere under the guise of helping with an experiment. I don't like lying, though."

"I know you don't, and I hate to ask this of you. But I have to talk to Tony. I don't want him to drop again."

"Was it bad?" Bruce asks quietly.

"Not as bad as it could have been," Steve says after a pause. "But not good. He was hysterical when I got to the office. I'm not even sure he knew who I was. He probably would've responded to just about anyone at that point, which is what worries me."

"You think someone would try to keep him little when he doesn't want it?" Bruce says, and Steve easily picks up on the thread of anger in his voice. Normally they all try to avoid making Bruce angry, but in this case Steve feels like that reaction is warranted. He can all too easily imagine Tony breaking down in front of some asshole who would use it against him. It's happened in the past with other Littles. The laws are supposed to protect them, but the legal system doesn't always work as well as it's supposed to. Steve and Bruce both know that first-hand.

"I think it's a distinct possibility. And even if that didn't happen, Tony's been pushing this down for eighteen years. It's going to explode sooner or later. I'd rather have the chance to coax him down easy and let him relax into it."

"And you're positive he wants you?" Bruce says, but then before Steve can responds, he adds, "Never mind, that was a dumb question. Tony looks at you like you hung the moon, and you're sweeter to him than anyone else except for Bucky."

"Did everyone see this coming?" Steve complains.

"Yup."

The answer comes from two different directions. Steve glares over his shoulder at a smirking Natasha, certain that on the other side of the phone Bruce is smirking too.

"Is that Bruce?" she asks, snagging the phone. "Hey Bruce. Yeah, I know, right? These two are morons."

"Hey!" Steve says to her back. She just waves her hand and keeps talking to Bruce as though Steve isn't the room. Steve keeps glaring at her, but he's not stupid enough to try and take the phone back. Only Clint and Bucky can manhandle Natasha without getting punched, and that's just because Natasha has a soft spot for Littles - though she'll never admit it. 

"Great," Natasha says finally. "See you then." 

"Well?" Steve says.

Natasha pivots on her heel and eyes him. "I'm not telling you when they're meeting until I'm sure that you're not going to fuck this up."

"I'm trying not to," Steve says, exasperated. They're all acting like he's not even trying. 

"Try harder."

"Look, all I want is to talk to Tony to see if he's interested. That's all!"

"And that's where you're going wrong," Natasha says, folding her arms. "Tony doesn't want someone who's interested, Steve. He wants someone who is in this for the long-run. He's loyal to the bone. You saw the news. You saw how much it killed him to put Stane away, and that's after Stane embezzled millions of dollars and sold weapons on the black market behind Tony's back. So if you're not sure, or if you're considering a trial run or something equally stupid, that's not going to fly."

"Bucky suggested -"

"Yeah, because _you_ were freaking out," she says, not unkindly. "Bucky's fine with this, Steve. He and I have talked about it. A lot."

Steve pauses. "I didn't know that."

She shrugs. "You were really busy with exams and he needed someone to talk to. I was there. He struggled with the idea at first, but I’m pretty sure it was just typical sibling rivalry. New baby in the house and all that. Once he got past the idea of having to share you, he was thrilled. He kept talking about how now you'd have someone to fuss over to your heart's content, which meant he was free to be a big boy."

In spite of himself, Steve cracks a smile. "I hope he realizes that's never going to happen."

"I figured it was better to allow him his dream," Natasha says. "He likes Tony. He's okay with Tony becoming his little brother. But you better figure out if _you're_ okay with it before you rush into something that could break a lot of hearts."

That's Natasha for you, getting straight to the heart of the matter. Steve winces a little. "I thought I was when I made the offer. And I loved caring for him that night. I felt the same way I did when I'm with Bucky. Calm and peaceful."

"But?"

"But what if I'm not enough?" Steve asks, and it feels so good to say the words out loud. "Having two Littles is a huge job. What if I start ignoring Bucky? Or what if Tony doesn't like me? What if I'm pushing too hard? What if I completely fuck this up? Tony and Bucky deserve more than that."

"First of all, I think the fact that you're even asking those questions is a positive sign. No one can see the future, Steve. You didn't know if taking Bucky as your Little was going to work out. I remember you saying to me that you were worried it would ruin your friendship, and now here you are. You guys are closer than ever and Bucky absolutely adores you. I can't imagine a world where you ignore him."

She holds up a hand when Steve goes to speak. "However, I do think you need to be prepared for a little jealousy on Bucky’s part, and part of being prepared is realizing how _normal_ that is. And I think you need to realize that it will happen no matter what you do. At this point, Bucky knows you’re interested in another Little regardless of whether you bring Tony into the house.”

Which is fair. Steve didn’t think about it like that. “I don’t like the thought of Bucky being jealous.”

Her expression softens just a tad. “Steve, Bucky will be jealous of Tony and Tony will probably be a little jealous of Bucky. It’s going to be a learning process for all of you. But as long as you love both of them and keep working at being a good caregiver, things will work themselves out."

"I didn't realize you knew so much about this kind of stuff," Steve says, a little overwhelmed, but her words make sense and go a long ways towards soothing the panic he’s feeling.

Natasha gives him a rare smile. "You know I minored in psychology," she says. "Which is also how I know that you don't need to worry about Tony liking you. I would say that you need to be concerned about the two of you matching, but based on how Tony reacted to you while we hanging out I doubt that's going to be an issue."

"I didn't fuss over him that much."

Her smile changes to a deadpan look. "Steve, you literally escorted him to the bathroom at one point. If Sam hadn’t called your name to distract you, you probably would’ve followed him right into the stall and pulled down his pants for him. You’ve cleaned ice cream off his face so many times I can't count. You also push him on the swings constantly, and that one time he fell off the slide and scraped his knee and almost cried, I thought _you_ were going to cry out of sympathy. You did everything but pick him up and rock him to sleep."

"He hurt himself!" Steve says defensively, crossing his arms. She's not wrong, though. God he felt horrible that day, even though Tony bravely held back the tears. 

“I know. I remember. What I don’t know is how you didn’t see this coming. You’re so oblivious it’s amazing.”

“I figured out that he was a Little. I saw the signs.”

“I meant I don’t know how you didn’t see you adopting Tony coming,” Natasha says. “Everyone else did.”

Steve shrugs, staring at the floor. The truth is, he’s not sure either. In retrospect, it’s obvious how much he fussed over Tony when they hung out as a group. He’s not sure how he had himself convinced that they were just casual friends. Apparently denial is a powerful thing. 

“So?” Natasha asks. “Have you decided?”

Oddly enough, Steve has. The panic is still there, but the urge to care for Tony is stronger. “Tell me where and when, Natasha.”

She nods in approval. "Bruce is going to get Tony to come to his lab tomorrow morning. He says they’re working on an experiment so Tony will definitely come. So be careful, okay? Tony’s been through a lot and right now he must be completely terrified. I can’t imagine what he’s going through, having this shoved in his face after everything. He deserves someone who really loves him. I think you can be that person."

“How do you know all this stuff?”

“I’m friends with Pepper.”

“That… makes a scary amount of sense,” Steve says. “I didn’t know that.”

“You don’t know everything about me,” says Natasha, which is probably the truest thing she’s ever said. “Tomorrow morning. Don’t fuck up.”

“I won’t,” Steve says with more confidence than he really feels. It’s daunting to think about taking on the added responsibility of another Little, but as he bathes Bucky and puts Bucky to sleep that night, he can see the same routine with Tony involved. Getting both boys bathed and fed, and maybe at some point they would feel comfortable sharing a bath. Putting Tony down first so that Steve and Bucky can have some alone time – because Bucky would love that, having the ‘later’ bedtime of the two of them. Waking up in the morning and seeing both his boys smile at him.

He wants that.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve doesn’t sleep much that night, too caught up in imagining all the ways that this meeting could go right – or wrong. Come morning, Bucky rolls over and squints at him, then rolls his eyes and says, “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”

“Not really.”

“Stevie, relax. It’s gonna be fine."

“Yeah, maybe,” Steve mutters. A sudden burst of inspiration hits, and he looks at Bucky. “Come with me.”

“What?”

“I think you should come with me. Tony doesn’t know that you’re really okay with this. Too many people have lied to him over the years. For all I know, he thinks that I’m lying too and maybe that’s part of what’s holding him back.”

“I don’t know. What if it makes him more uncomfortable?”

“You’re my baby, Buck,” Steve says gently. “Tony’s going to have to get used to having you around pretty quick.”

“M’not a baby,” Bucky mumbles, but the smile on his face suggests he’s pleased. “Okay. I’ll try to stay big, but it’s been a long week at work and I’m exhausted.”

Steve nods at that, running a hand through Bucky’s hair. He hates that Bucky has to work to help support them. But part of him knows that Bucky needs the time to be big; like Tony, he’s never been a traditional Little. “It’s fine. I’ll pack a diaper bag just in case,” he says, which prompts the expected response.

“Don’t need diapers!”

“No, but I do want you to put a pull-up on today just in case.” Steve pats his butt as he gets up, dodging out of the way of Bucky’s half-hearted flail. Bucky doesn’t usually have accidents, but the key word in there is ‘usually’. It’s happened enough times when Bucky gets really caught up in something that Steve doesn’t like to take the chance, especially since Bucky always has a meltdown afterwards.

“Don’t need it,” Bucky grumbles under his breath, but Steve just ignores him and digs a pull-up out of the package, tossing it on the bed. He keeps an eye out to make sure that Bucky actually pulls it on, which he does. It’s barely noticeable under the jeans that Bucky pulls on over it, not like a bulkier diaper would be. He finds himself wondering just how many accidents Tony’s had over the years and who cleaned him afterwards. The thought of Tony frantically trying to find a bathroom so that he can clean himself up is disheartening.

After a quick breakfast, during which Phil, Clint, Natasha and Sam all wish Steve good luck, he and Bucky head out. Bruce’s lab is on campus, so they take the train downtown. Steve’s heart pounds as they near the campus. Bucky takes his hand and squeezes it. Having him there is calming in a way Steve didn’t expect, and he finds himself able to breathe a little easier.

Bruce is waiting for them outside. He lets them in and leads them to a little room just off his lab. He doesn’t actually tell Steve not to fuck up, but the warning glance he shoots Steve speaks way more than words ever could. Steve just nods back, filled with determination. Then Bruce shuts the door and they’re left to wait. But not for long, because within fifteen minutes the door is opening again and it’s Tony.

He doesn’t look good. Steve can tell at a glance that Tony hasn’t been sleeping, and Steve can’t blame him. He’s done the simple math. Tony has less than six days to find a caregiver before his name is added to the adoption list, and then the ensuing madness will begin. He would be freaking out too. That, plus the added stress of still trying to ride out the ramifications of Stane’s betrayal, have to be taking a toll on Tony’s health. No wonder Pepper and Natasha are worried.

“Steve.” Tony is the first to speak. “Bucky. What are you doing here?”

He hasn’t turned around and run, so Steve considers that a win. “You weren’t answering my calls or texts.”

“Generally that’s a sign someone doesn’t want to talk.”

“What makes you think you have that luxury?” Bucky says.

“Bucky,” Steve says quietly, but Bucky ignores him.

“Whether you like it or not you’re a Little, Stark. And that means the world is pre-disposed to think that you can’t handle anything yourself. It doesn’t matter whether that’s true or not: it’s still what people think. You really want to prove them right by having the government pick your caregiver?”

Tony’s cheeks flush. “Maybe that would be better than having this fail,” he says, motioning between him and Steve.

“Why are so sure it’s gonna fail?”

“Because I’m me,” Tony says, quick and brutal. “Because everyone gets tired of me eventually. It’s better to have someone who doesn’t care about me from the beginning. That way, I won’t get attached.”

“Tony,” Steve says, unable to keep silent at that. This quiet certainty that Tony will end up abandoned hurts too much. “I would never leave you behind.”

“You can’t promise that.”

Bucky touches Steve’s back. It’s a movement hidden from Tony by the way their bodies are positioned, and Steve doesn’t have to look at Bucky to know what the touch means. _Tread carefully_.

“You’re right. I can’t promise that. I could die tomorrow and I can’t control that. But I would do everything in my power to care for you as long as I’m here,” Steve says, meaning it. “We’ve been friends for a while. I know what you’re like. And I told you, I already have a non-traditional Little. I won’t demand more from you than I can give.”

“And I’m just supposed to believe you’re such a saint?” Tony practically snarls. “That you don’t want anything in return?”

“It’s not always about the physical things, Stark,” Bucky says. “Ever stopped to think that maybe Stevie would get something from you that you can’t see? He’s a caregiver. You’re a smart guy. You know what that means. He _needs_ to take care of someone. And take it from me, he tips the lower end of the scale.” His expression is all exasperation. “He smothers me sometimes. He needs a baby around.”

“I don’t smother you,” Steve says.

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.” Bucky puts a hand over Steve’s mouth to halt the argument, turning back to Tony. “It’s not always about things you can quantify. Money, stock in your company, fame, or whatever else people have wanted from you. I know biology usually works against you. Believe me, I get that better than most people. But in this case, it’s working _for_ you.”

Tony’s eyes flick between them, but he’s relaxing a little. “It’s a lot of work.” And what he means is, _I’m_ a lot of work.

“I know. I think the same thing about myself sometimes,” Bucky says honestly, which Steve didn’t know. “But it’s fulfilling work, far as I can see. The weeks where Steve and I don’t have time to spend together, I can see the difference in him. He’s a lot more tense, quicker to anger, and doesn’t sleep as well. Same as me. I’m sure you’re familiar with the feelings that come from not fulfilling your biological needs.”

What Bucky is saying is nothing that Steve hasn’t said before. But it seems to be getting through to Tony this time, like maybe he just needed to hear it from someone who wasn’t Steve. 

“Pepper told me to trust you,” he says, looking at Steve. “She said she did a lot of research into you and that you seem like a good guy.”

Which probably means that Pepper knows more about Steve than Steve does, at this point. He shrugs. “Sounds like a glowing recommendation to me.”

“How can I be sure you won’t change your mind?” Tony says.

Bucky stays quiet, so Steve answers. “I guess you can’t. Not 100%. I guess you have to decide if you’re willing to trust me.”

Tony wants to. Steve can see it in his face. He wants it so bad he’s almost crying, to the point where he’s blinking rapidly in an effort to keep the tears at bay. But he’s also scared. Scared of being hurt, of being left behind, and Steve’s arms ache with the effort it takes to keep from pulling Tony into a hug.

“What about you?” Tony looks at Bucky. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Yeah, Stevie figured you would be,” Bucky says. “I could do worse for a little brother.”

“Seriously? I thought you hated me.”

“What can I say? It turns out that sarcastic little shits grow on me after a while,” Bucky says with a smirk. “Steve definitely has a type.”

“I do not,” Steve says, elbowing him. The last thing he wants is Tony getting the wrong idea about why they’re here. 

Bucky just smirks at him again before turning back to Tony. “It’s an open invitation if you want to take it. I can’t promise I won’t fight with you sometimes, or want you to go away so I can spend time with Steve. But then, I also can’t promise I won’t be super possessive of you and not want to share you with any other kids on the playground. I’m a toddler. It’s what we do.”

Steve rolls his eyes at Bucky, but speaks to Tony. “Tony, honey, I don’t know what else to say to you. I didn’t even know I wanted another Little until I met you, but it feels right. I promise to do my best to care for you and Bucky. To do what it takes to put you both first, and love you as much as I can.”

It’s the first time Steve’s said the word ‘love’ around Tony, and the shock is obvious in Tony’s face. He visibly starts and looks up at Steve, eyes wide and disbelieving. And it hurts to see such blatant proof that Tony hasn’t been loved, because Steve tells Bucky that he loves him multiple times a day and he means it every time and he knows Bucky knows that he means it because he gets that beautiful smile from Bucky every time. And he wants to be able to do the same thing for Tony.

Tony’s quiet for the longest time, just looking at the two of them, a clear struggle going on behind his eyes. Steve waits as patiently as he can, feeling Bucky fidgeting beside him. They’ve said everything they can say. If Tony says no at this point, Steve will just have to accept it because the last thing he wants to do is pressure Tony into saying yes. The only thing he’ll be able to do is put his head together with Pepper and try to come up with a caregiver in the next six days. 

It’s hard to say who is the most shocked when Tony says, very softly, “Okay.”

“Really?” Steve blurts out, stunned, and then it’s his turn to get elbowed by Bucky.

Tony’s smile is shy for all the wrong reasons, but he nods slowly. “I guess you’re as good as anyone,” he says, which isn’t exactly the ringing endorsement Steve wants, but that doesn’t really matter at this point. He’s getting the chance to change Tony’s mind and that’s all that really counts.

“Thank you, Tony,” Steve says, meaning it. 

“You’ll have to sign a pre-adoption agreement,” Tony warns. “And it’s a strict one.”

“I don’t care. I’ll sign whatever you want.” It's reckless and Phil would slap him upside the head for saying something so stupid if he were here, but Steve doesn't care because the comment earns him a real smile from Tony.

"And... we'll have to talk." Tony says the word 'talk' the way Bucky says 'naptime', like it's a filthy word. "About how this is going to work. Because like I said, I can't be little all the time. And I've never really... done that. Ever. Not until the night you came to the tower."

"Ever?" Bucky says, scandalized.

This time, Tony's blush colors the tips of his ears. "I didn't have time or space," he says defensively. "My father made it very clear that if I was a Little, he wouldn't leave Stark Industries in my name. It sounds terrible to say, but it's pure luck that he died before I got my classification letter. Stane was the same way." He trips briefly over Stane's name, like it still hurts to say. 

"But I don't see how you could've got this far without ever letting go," Bucky says. "I mean, I know Stevie said you just got your letter a couple of weeks ago, but... _never_?"

Tony shrugs, wrapping his arms around his torso. Hugging himself. "I had to. The tower was... it wasn't safe. Stane liked to visit without knocking, and he made me add him to all of my security features so he could come and go as he pleased." His voice drops, soft and sad. "Sometimes I think he suspected, and he was hoping to catch me in the act. It's pretty hard to relax when you constantly have to be on guard."

"Wasn't that hard?" Steve asks, even though it's not what he means to say. He means to ask if Tony wants a hug, but instead he adds, "I mean, you're a baby. You must've wet the bed a lot."

Tony blushes harder, looking miserable. "Plastic sheets," he confesses in a small voice. "Pepper helped later, once Stane hired her. She helped me store extra mattresses and sheets in the tower... even if I wanted to, I couldn't sleep in diapers because there were too many early morning meetings that Stane came to drag me to."

It's a good thing that Stane is in jail, because Steve kind of wants to punch the guy. It sounds a little like psychological torture. He can't imagine the hoops Tony had to jump through trying to hide everything. A baby classification is the most obvious of them all, really. He has no idea how Tony's been able to keep himself together for this long under that much pressure.

"You don't have to hide anymore. Steve is the best daddy ever," Bucky says before Steve can think of what he wants to say. He takes a step forward, watching Tony carefully, watching for any sign that Tony might not want to be touched right now. But Tony just looks at them, hugging himself tighter.

"I don't think I know how to do that," Tony admits. "I'm going to be awful." His voice quivers, just a little, and that seems to be the thing that breaks Bucky. He sets a hand on Tony's shoulder and then, when Tony doesn't pull away, wraps his arms around Tony very carefully.

"Daddy will take care of you. Daddy takes care of everything," Bucky confides, like it's a secret. "He loves us."

The first sob shudders Tony's small frame hard. "I'm so tired."

Bucky hugs him tighter in reply, shooting a pointed look at Steve. But it's not until Tony sobs again that Steve is finally jolted into motion, crossing the room quickly. He hesitates just a little to hug them both, but then Tony starts to cry in earnest and Steve can't hold himself back any longer. It feels _so damn good_ to wrap an arm around each of his boys, pulling them both into the safety of his arms. Tony really falls apart then, crying so hard he's gasping for breath, one hand clutching Bucky's arm and the other hand wound so tightly into Steve's shirt his knuckles turn white.

"It's okay," Steve whispers, pressing a kiss to the side of Tony's head. "You can rest now, Tony. We're here."


	7. Chapter 7

“Where are my little monsters?”

Steve walks into the living room, sweeping his gaze over the room. Wade is sitting on the couch feeding Peter a bottle and looking deeply amused, but there’s no sign of either Bucky or Tony. Yet Steve knows they have to be in here. He prowls closer, peering behind the couch and the old bar that Tony’s been talking about ripping out for weeks now. No sign of any little boys, but Steve can hear the sound of giggles so they can’t be far off.

Wade clears his throat and jerks his head towards the closet. Steve nods at him in thanks and prowls slowly over to the closet. Sure enough, when he puts his ear up against the door, he can hear the giggling even more clearly. Very slowly, he reaches for the doorknob and curls his fingers around it. He waits a few more seconds just to build anticipation and then jerks the door open.

Two happy boys spill out of the closet, shrieking with laughter. Steve can’t help laughing either as he swoops down on them. “It’s the Tickle Monster!” he yells.

“No, Daddy!” Bucky shrieks, batting helplessly at Steve’s hand as he starts to tickle them both. It takes effort to keep them both pinned when they’re wiggling around, but Steve’s practiced at it by now. He keeps at it until they’re both laying under him, panting as hard as they’re giggling. Only then does he sit back on his heels, satisfied.

“Once again, the Tickle Monster wins,” he says triumphantly.

“You cheated,” Bucky says, still grinning.

“I did not. You’re just a sore loser, little man.”

“Am not!”

“Are too,” Steve teases, switching his glance to Tony. The baby looks completely played out, which isn’t a bad thing. Tony’s had a busy week. He mentally readjusts their schedule from a nap after lunch to a nap before lunch and reaches down to lift Tony into his arms. Tony cuddles him into, warm and soft and sweet.

“I am not,” Bucky says, climbing to his feet on his own. He plants his hands on his hips, daring Steve to challenge him again.

“No, I guess you’re not,” Steve agrees with a fond smile. “Hey Buck, I’ve gotta change Tony’s diaper. Can you stay here with Uncle Wade for a few minutes? Then I promise we’ll all watch a movie together.”

Bucky thinks about it. "Can we have popcorn during the movie?"

Steve shrugs one shoulder. "Sure."

"Okay."

“Thanks bud.” He watches long enough to be sure that Bucky’s really going to climb on the couch before he leaves the room with Tony. Not that long ago, Bucky would’ve followed him step for step to make sure that Tony wasn’t getting something that Bucky wasn’t getting. It’s a relief to know that Bucky now feels comfortable enough to wait in another room.

This transition, or whatever you want to call it, hasn’t been easy. Not by a long shot. It’s been an adjustment on everyone. Moving their whole group into the tower was particularly hard, if Steve’s being honest. No one took Tony’s tentative offer the right way except for Natasha, and the varying upset reactions had sent Tony skittering in the opposite direction like a frightened spider, convinced that Steve wouldn’t want him anymore. Even Bruce yelled at him.

It took Natasha slamming the honest truth over their collectives heads – that a) Tony really did have more room than he knew what to do with, b) Tony was lonely, and c) no, he wasn’t offering just so that he would have something to hold over their heads in the future, he really was that generous – for things to change. And even then, earning back Tony’s trust wasn’t exactly easy - for any of them, but especially for Steve.

He and Tony eventually worked out a compromise: Steve pays a small amount of rent each month. He insists on it. It’s nowhere near what Tony should charge him, considering that Tony pays for most of the food and utilities, but it makes him feel a little better. And Steve has to admit, as hard as it was on his pride at first, it's awfully nice to be able to lay down to sleep and not hear Phil snoring through the wall. They even had enough space for Wade, Peter, Bruce, Thor and Loki to move in.

There were other small problems, too. Bucky pushed a lot in the beginning, trying to figure out what he could get away with, while Tony was heart-breakingly timid and unsure. Pretty early on, Steve set up a system: he and Bucky spend Wednesday afternoons together, and whether that’s Little time or adult time is Bucky’s choice. Then, Steve and Tony spend Sunday afternoons together (Tony’s schedule permitting). The private, one-on-one time has helped a lot.

They still have arguments. The boys bicker sometimes. But Bucky is fiercely protective of Tony and Tony adores Bucky, so overall Steve is happier than he’s been in a very long time. And he has the baby in his arms to thank for most of that. He smiles down at Tony as they walk into the nursery. Tony smiles back, though he can’t help yawning. Steve chuckles and sets the baby down on the changing table.

“You sleepy, sweetheart?”

“Nuh uh,” Tony mumbles, rubbing at his eyes.

“I think you are. You're just being a stubborn little cutie. Been hanging around your big brother too much, I think,” Steve says, amused.

"Not sleepy," Tony says determinedly.

"Right. Not at all. What was silly Daddy thinking?" He gives Tony a green pacifier to suck on and then unsnaps his onesie. He removes and disposes of the messy diaper, turning his attention to cleaning Tony up. He loves the way that Tony goes pliant under his hands, completely trusting. 

By the time the diaper change is over, Tony is three-quarters of the way asleep. Steve scoops him up carefully and lowers him into his crib, setting Tony's teddy bear against his side and pulling a purple blanket up around him. Tony wraps his arms around the toy and sighs, eyelashes fluttering. Steve lingers for a moment, waiting until he's absolutely certain that Tony is asleep, before he switches on the baby monitor and tiptoes out of the room.

"Daddy!" Bucky yells when Steve walks back into the living room, throwing his arms up like Steve's been gone for years. Steve chuckles, obligingly picking him up for a hug. 

"We ready to start the movie, sweetheart?" he asked, nuzzling Bucky's hair.

"Uncle Phil and Tasha are makin' popcorn!" Bucky says, wiggling with excitement.

"Oh they are, huh?" Steve sits down on the couch beside Wade and smiles at Peter, who looks at sleepy as Tony did. Bucky is practically bouncing and it takes a bit of effort to make him sit beside Steve, especially when Clint marches in clutching a huge bowl of popcorn and sits down on the floor out of reach. Fortunately, Natasha follows with a bowl for the couch before Bucky has a break down.

It's a full house - everyone except for Thor, Loki and Bruce - and Steve wraps an arm around Bucky's shoulders as Phil dims the lights and Sam turns the movie on. Bucky settles down pretty much right away, eyes locked on the screen while he greedily shovels popcorn into his mouth. 

The movie is almost over before Steve hears any sound from the baby monitor. He pries his arm out of Bucky's grip and heads down the hall to find a heavy-eyed baby sitting up in the crib waiting for him. Steve lifts him out, checks his diaper to make sure it's dry, and then carries Tony back to the living room. 

The couch is getting too crowded, so he sits down on the ground in front of it with Tony between his legs. Bucky joins them a moment later, cuddling up under Steve's right arm and wrapping both arms around Tony. Tony yawns and leans his head against Bucky's shoulder. Natasha tosses him a blanket, which Steve wraps around both of his boys. He's pretty sure they'll both be out cold in a couple of minutes.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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